Saturday, January 30, 2010

The third issue of Wildstorm's VICTORIAN UNDEAD comic book mini-series pitting Sherlock Holmes against a zombie menace in Victorian London hit comic shops earlier this week. In this latest issue Mycroft Holmes, after rescuing his brother and Dr. Watson from an underground zombie attack in issue 2, explains some of the suppressed background to the newly awakened zombie menace and before the issue is through we find Holme, Watson and Mrs. Hudson facing a new outbreak on the very doorstep of 221B Baker Street!

Simply put, this series is turning out to be a fascinating and well-conceived read and is fast becoming my all-time favourite original incarnation of Sherlock Holmes in the comic book medium. Fun story by Ian Edginton and great artwork by Davide Fabbri! Highly Recommended!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Coming to DVD on January 26, 2010 is The Asylum's straight to video film SHERLOCK HOLMES. The film stars Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood's Ianto) as Watson, Dominic Keating as Spring Heeled Jack and Ben Syder as Sherlock Holmes. For more on SHERLOCK HOLMES visit The Asylum website.To order the DVD through our Amazon USA store click here.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Press Release received Saturday, January 16, 2010 (Posted entirely as received without editorial comment):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The game's afoot! - A New Sherlock Holmes film is in production in Kingston.

While post-holiday audiences are still flocking to the cinema to take-in Hollywood's new Sherlock Holmes movie, something quite exciting is afoot much closer to home.

Kingston, Ontario will be standing-in for Victorian London over the next few months, as the world of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is brought to life for a new film project, produced with the kind permission of the Conan Doyle Estate.

Several years ago, Kingston-based actor Anthony D.P. Mann shot an amateur short-film version of the Holmes mystery "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in town, which has been seen around the world. He admits that the previous production was incredibly flawed "for several reasons, including mistakes made by a first-time film-maker, and my lack of resemblance to the part!" (Mann was significantly overweight at the time, and not in very good health).

Fast-forward several years later, and now Anthony's getting a chance to bring his beloved character (which he has previously played on Montreal radio and stage) back to life on the screen in an exciting and original mystery entitled "Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers". Having honed his acting and film-making talents in the interim - and taken 100 pounds off in the process - Anthony is confident that this new production will be met with great interest when it is released on DVD and digital download in Summer 2010, thanks to a revived interest in the Sherlock Holmes adventures in the wake of the new Hollywood film starring Robert Downey Jr, and the fact that this film is being made with the permission of Conan Doyle's representatives.

Casting is now completed, and filming commences for a three-month block the first week of February. The film's official website is now "live" (www.sherlockholmesadventures.ca), and will feature regular video updates and other assorted goodies as the film nears completion. There are already photographs, a video, and detailed information about the movie to be found.

Interest in this production has already been very encouraging (for instance, some sponsorship has been provided by Peterson Pipes of Dublin) and we hope that both local, foreign, and Sherlockian media will assist us in making an "event" out of this unique project. Anthony would love to chat with you about the film, and the remarkable road it has taken to get here - conquering serious health issues, negotiating with the Conan Doyle's estate, and his continuing pursuit of a dream. We can be reached for inquiries at:

Friday, January 15, 2010

Fans of Jeremy Brett and the Granada Sherlock Holmes series who have been struggling to find a reasonably priced copy of David Stuart Davies' excellent study BENDING THE WILLOW on the secondary book market can breathe a sigh of relief. The fine folks at Calabash Press (Christopher and Barbara Roden) have just announced that a new edition is in the works.

"Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective is widely recognised as the best yet seen.

Before his untimely death in 1995, Brett had made the part his own, all the time battling against the manic depression which had plagued him for many years. Bending the Willow examines how this brilliant actor channelled the demons of his debilitating illness into his iridescent portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.

In this fascinating and perceptive study, David Stuart Davies draws on the many conversations he had with Jeremy Brett and key people involved with the Granada Television series and the stage play The Secret of Sherlock Holmes. The result is the first detailed assessment of all of Jeremy Brett's performances as Sherlock Holmes."

It's a great book and belongs in the collection of every Jeremy Brett or Granada Sherlock Holmes fan.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

If you enjoyed Hans Zimmer's brilliant score for Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES film you'll be pleased to find that the original soundtrack has now been released to CD and is also available in a variety of MP3 downloads.